Donor Spotlight: Supporting Dr. George Woodwell’s legacy of science to serve the public good

Dr. Kira Lawrence began her career at Woodwell Climate, and the lessons she learned there have shaped her life

Sarah Ruiz Science Writer and Editor

“I wanted to do science that I thought mattered,” says Dr. Kira Lawrence, reflecting on her career as a researcher, educator, and most recently the Senior Policy Advisor for New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU).

Lawrence began her career at Woodwell Climate Research Center, then Woods Hole Research Center, in 1997. She worked as a research assistant in the global carbon program for two years before heading off to earn her master’s degree and eventually doctorate in earth sciences.

According to Lawrence, it was this short stint under the mentorship of Dr. George Woodwell and Dr. Richard “Skee” Houghton that gave her a model for the kind of science she wanted to pursue—“sound science in service to the public good.”

After earning her doctorate, she spent nearly 20 years as a professor at Lafayette College, inspiring a new generation of scientists to tackle the issue of climate change. But as the urgency of the climate crisis has become progressively more acute, she felt compelled to transition from focusing on researching and explaining the problem to working on the solutions.

So, she made the hard decision to leave her job as a professor and accept a fellowship that led to her new position at BPU. There she has worked on the fossil-fuel-to-clean energy transition, primarily focusing on offshore wind development, using her scientific expertise to inform New Jersey’s policies. Guided by the principles she took from her days at Woodwell Climate, she now feels she is having a tangible, positive impact by working directly on mitigating the climate crisis.

“Although I only worked for [George] and for the Research Center for a short time, that mattered to me,” says Lawrence “I didn’t want to be on the sideline and George, without him knowing, showed me the way.”

Throughout her life, Lawrence has been a consistent supporter of the Center’s work. After Woodwell’s passing earlier this year, she was moved to donate in his honor as a natural continuation of his legacy.

“By continuing to give donations to the Research Center, you’re not only honoring George, but you are ensuring that his legacy and his ethos are carried into the future through the work of the Center,” says Lawrence.

That legacy, which Lawrence has worked to embody, is one of optimism and dedication to the public good. Of caring for both the people affected by climate change and the people working to reverse it.

“If you ask me to try and capture George Woodwell’s amazing contributions to society, it is not only the groundbreaking science he did on the most salient issues of his time, but also the ethos that science should be in service to the public good. We should take what we know from studying our planet, and use it to inform decisionmaking in a way that will benefit human societies,” says Lawrence. “George was the person who first helped me realize that and that ethos has served as a compass for my career ever since.”

Help us carry forward Dr. George Woodwell’s legacy of science in service to the public good. Your gift to the George M. Woodwell Endowment Fund will support climate science for change in perpetuity. Question? Contact Beth Bagley at bbagley@woodwellclimate.org or at 508-444-1517.

header photo: Dr. Kira Lawrence (right), with Drs. George Woodwell (left) and Skee Houghton (center) in 1997.